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The image was indelible: Los Angeles Dodgersowner Mark Walter draping a No. 17 jersey around Shohei Ohtani's shoulders, welcoming the biggest baseball star on the globe to blue heaven with a $700 million contract that stipulated Ohtani will stay so long as Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, controlled the team.

The future seemed limitless.

And it absolutely was: Ohtani led the Dodgers to consecutive World Series titles, generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the ballclub and made L.A. a destination for every major free agent, international or otherwise. Walter, meanwhile, parlayed his riches into a 2025 purchase of the Lakers, making him the bona fide king of Southland sports.

The Los Angeles Angels? On the day Ohtani joined forces with Walter, Ohtani's old team was merely an afterthought. They had little interest, Ohtani confirmed, in retaining him on the same deal he presented the Dodgers. The teams' stations in life seemed to only grow further apart, the distance on I-5 hardly symbolizing the gulf between Arte Moreno's flailing franchise and Walter's jewel.

Yet part of the beauty of sports is its impermanence.

Nothing lasts forever, an unfortunate concept when pondering an aging superstar or a championship core deteriorating. It can also work the other way, and stunned, giddy, relieved Angels fans found this out Tuesday, Sept. 1 when Moreno agreed to sell the club for $4 billion.

To the most successful and prosperous and solidly entrenched owner in Los Angeles. And that's no longer Mark Walter.

No, that guy, now, is Stan Kroenke, who brought football back to L.A., engineered a world-class stadium and then delivered a Lombardi Trophy to the Los Angeles Rams for the first time in their bifurcated history. It is no longer Walter, whose hurried sale of the Lakers 11 months after he bought them was a Tiger Woods-crashes-into-the-fire-hydrant moment that portended more trouble.

It has come in the form of a federal investigation into over $21 billion in loans not disclosed to state insurance regulators that were made by two Delaware insurers Walter owns. Don't fret for him too much: Walter made $2.5 billion on his $10 billion purchase of the Lakers in less than a year.

But suddenly, the man whose reserves seemed bottomless, his reach limitless, faced major questions about liquidity, legality and the very future of his sports holdings. No, club president Stan Kasten has insisted, the Dodgers are not for sale.

Yet that bright blue sky no longer seems a shade of Dodger blue, does it?

Meanwhile, Moreno moved in the stealth fashion that defined his surprise takeover of the Angels for a mere $184 million 23 years ago. Sure, he had the team on the market four years ago but pulled it off in 2023. The prices weren't right.

But with the San Diego Padres having sold down the freeway for $3.9 billion, a bar was set. A lockout was looming - and perhaps Moreno's selling now is a tell that owners aren't totally bullish on getting a salary cap from the rubble of baseball's looming nuclear winter.

Enter Kroenke, whose franchises have won championships in the NFL, NHL (the Colorado Avalanche, twice) and NBA (the Nuggets' first title in their 60-year history, in 2023.). And he's never had to liquidate.

As if to twist the knife, Kroenke's Arsenal won its first Premier League championship in 22 years. Meanwhile, Walter and Dodgers partner Todd Boehly are reportedly looking to sell their shares in Chelsea - to investment firm Clearlake Capital, whose managing partner, Jose E. Feliciano, just bought the Padres.

(If you subscribe to the theory that sports are just proxy wars for the obscenely wealthy, the previous paragraph could be your mission statement).

One former Angels player, told of the sale, did not hesitate to note how positive this will be for the club. Athletes win, but it's also about systemic structures, and executive function, all of which lacked badly under Moreno.

That's never been a problem for Walter, either, as baseball ops chief Andrew Friedman has built a monster with his money. They're both the betting and pragmatic choice to win a third consecutive World Series this autumn.

Around that time, the Rams - behind their Myles Garret-Aaron Donald-backed defensive line - could be taking control of the NFC West. The Angels should be hiring a new general manager. Kroenke's blueprint will be taking shape in Anaheim.

That still makes them light years away from another parade down Disneyland's Main Street. But such a notion seemed impossible a day earlier.

The same could be said for Walter standing on shaky ground, until the day he sold the Lakers. Now, there is doubt where once there was invincibility. There are no such worries with Kroenke, who for now, looks like the angel of SoCal sports.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Kroenke will run Rams and Angels. And Mark Walter no longer runs LA | Opinion

After winning three out of four against the Marlins, the Nats homestand continues with another NL East matchup. The boys have a quick two game series against the Braves before a much needed off day. As we enter September, the Nats will have to dig deep and finish strong here.

We are getting a new name in the Nats lineup. Yohandy Morales will DH and hit 5th in what is his MLB debut. Morales had a big year in AAA and is getting rewarded with a September call up. CJ Abrams is also back in the lineup playing shortstop. Despite being benched for poor effort, Jorbit Vivas is also back in the lineup. Harry Ford replaces Keibert Ruiz behind the plate. Jake Irvin will be on the bump.

a new name has appeared on the lineup

→ https://t.co/HyMhWpLQbBpic.twitter.com/7L4cVQuOlX

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 1, 2026

This Braves lineup is nothing new to Nats fans. Acuna, Albies, Olson, Harris and Baldwin all feature. Albies will be at DH over his usual second base though. The versatile Mauricio Dubon will be at second. Young AJ Smith-Shawver missed a lot of this season due to injury but he is back on the mound now and will face the Nats tonight.

3️⃣2️⃣ gets the start!#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/gpOioZTqwA

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 1, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

We are officially in the home stretch here. It is time for September baseball. The Nats are only a win away from exceeding last year’s win total. It has been an up and down year but positive progression has been made. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

The first game thread of the SB Nation app era, we cheered! But whether you’re on it or tuning in on the website, we’re just glad you’re here. <3

A Feed prompt for you while we await the 6:45 pm ET first pitch in DC:

Game Notes

Pitching preview

Lineups

ICYMI

Braves biweekly: all we do is accumulate wins

Braves will be calling up Blake Burkhalter and Kyle Farmer as September call-ups, per report

Three big stats to keep in mind as Braves move into September

The San Francisco Giants continue this road trip today as they begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 3.72 ERA, 3.37 FIP, with 118 strikeouts to 36 walks in 147.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 10-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds last Wednesday, in which he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

He’ll be facing off against Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, who enters today’s game with a 3.79 ERA, 2.96 FIP, with 175 strikeouts to 41 walks in 145 innings pitched. His last start was in the Pirates’ 1-0 win over the San Diego Padres last Tuesday, in which he allowed just three hits with four strikeouts in six innings.

Game #139

Who: San Francisco Giants (57-81) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-71)

Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

When: 3:40 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The Jays made many roster moves today:

• Simeon Woods Richardson is a free agent.
• Daz Cameron has been DFAed.
• Joe Mantiply has been activated.
• Josh Smith has been activated.
• Sean Keys has been called up.
• Ricky Tiedemann has been called up.

Cameron only got 25 PA to show what he could do, but then that the way things work. He hit just .208/.200/.375 with the one home run, but no walk with 7 strikeouts. He’s 29 and may be running out of teams who want to take a look at him.

SWR…..well you saw what happened the other day. We are short of arms who can pitch multiple innings in the pen, but then you have to get guys out.

Mantiply last pitched for us in mid-May. He had surgery on his left knee in May and has been working his way back since. He pitched 6.2 innings in Buffalo, allowing 8 hits, 2 earned, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.

Smith went on the IL August 20th. He was hitting .250/.323/464with 2 home runs for the Jays in 14 games. He had a hamstring issue.

Keys had a great August in Buffalo, hitting .358/.470/.684 with 7 home runs in 95 at bats. They had been playing him in left field figuring he could get at bats there in the majors. I hope his bat continues at that pace.

Tiedeman was called up mid-August, pitched 1.2 innings in one outing and was sent back to Buffalo. Hopefully he’ll be up longer this time.

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The Jays also say that Trey Yesavage has been throwing on flat ground and will do a bullpen on Friday. He had knee surgery three weeks ago. Maybe he could be back for the end of the season?

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Tonight’s lineups:

Today is the September 1st roster expansion where teams can go from a 26-man active roster to 28. The San Francisco Giants have added a third catcher to their roster by bringing back Zach Morgan, who’d just been added to the 40-man roster on August 10th; and, a left-handed reliever in 24-year old Cesar Perdomo, who will be making his MLB debut when or if he gets into a game.

Let’s put a pin in the specific player talk just for a moment, though, to examine the Giants roster. Here’s Andrew Baggarly’s commentary about the callups:

If you want to impress your friends or win a bet later today, memorize this list of current 60-day ILers:

Hayden Birdsong
JT Brubaker
Jose Butto
Matt Gage
Adrian Houser
Trevor McDonald
Joel Peguero
Randy Rodriguez
Carson Whisenhunt
Rowan Wick
Daniel Susac
Matt Chapman
Harrison Bader
Casey Schmitt

Willy Adames is plausibly bound for this list as well, and the Giants injury tracker is a real whopper.

One thing to keep in mind about the 60-day IL players is that they can’t be there in the offseason. JT Brubaker is the only free agent in the bunch so, absent any DFAs/cuts (ahem, Harrison Bader), that’s 13 roster spots to be mindful of when thinking about who else the Giants might call up. That could be why we’re not seeing Bo Davidson right now… or they’re just waiting for Willy Adames to hit the 60-day.

Because this is an important evaluation period for the players who are left. I’ll admit to getting a little excited by Jonah Cox’s performance of late. Reiver Sanmartin had a 2.24 FIP in 13 IP in August. Turner Hill is showing his utility. Grant McCray is playing himself out of the organization.

So, it’s less that there are spots up for grabs, and more that it’s time for these fringe roster guys to earn their keep. Who’s going to be sticking around in 40-man slots 27-40 next season?

Morgan was in the majors for, like, 5 minutes after being added to the 40-man on August 10th and then optioned on August 11th. He’s yet to play a major league inning. In the minors, he’s done more than just catch, with a game in left field for Richmond, but also innings at first, third, and even the occasional DH. And, yes, he pitched 1.2 innings; so, the position player pitcher group has been shored up a bit after Christian Koss.

He has a career .334 OBP in the minors but just a .679 OPS.

Meanwhile, Perdomo could make the lefty reliever situation heading into next year interesting. With Gage and Hentges injured an older and a bit more expensive, maybe the Giants are trying to find similarly talented and slightly cheaper options in Sanmartin, Perdomo, Phil Abner, and… Carson Whisenhunt?

Or maybe Perdomo is just there to be a long man behind, say, Landen Roupp or Blade Tidwell, the other two starters in this Pittsburgh Series? He’s struck out 125 in 120 IP this season and has a 4.43 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) across Double-A and Triple-A. Back in June, FanGraphs had this to say about him:

Perdomo is a smoke-and-mirrors lefty with above-average control and a nice changeup, a spot starter’s skill set.

He’d strike out 13 just 4 days later, but outside of that, he has basically been that all year. Anyway, welcome to The Show, Cesar Perdomo! Go get ‘em.

Oct. 9

Today in sports history

Today is Oct. 9. On this date in:

1905: Christy Mathewson pitched a four-hit shutout as the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in the World Series opener, beginning a record-setting Series in which he threw three shutouts.

1919: Cincinnati defeated the Chicago White Sox 10-5 in Game 8 of the best-of-nine World Series to capture the first championship in Reds history.

1928: Babe Ruth hit three home runs as the New York Yankees defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 to complete a World Series sweep and win their second consecutive championship.

1934: Dizzy Dean pitched a six-hit shutout on one day’s rest as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Detroit Tigers 11-0 in Game 7 of the World Series.

1943: No. 1 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Michigan 35-12 in the first college football game matching the teams ranked first and second in the national media poll.

1944: The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the St. Louis Browns 3-1 in Game 6 to win the only World Series contested entirely in St. Louis.

1949: The New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-6 in Game 5 to win the World Series, beginning a major league-record run of five consecutive championships.

1958: The New York Yankees defeated the Milwaukee Braves 6-2 in Game 7, completing a comeback from a 3-1 Series deficit to win their 18th World Series championship.

1961: The New York Yankees scored five runs in the first inning and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 13-5 in Game 5 to win their 19th World Series championship.

1966: Dave McNally pitched a four-hit shutout as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 to complete a World Series sweep and win the first championship in franchise history.

1974: The expansion Washington Capitals played their first regular-season game, losing 6-3 to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

1982: Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scored twice against Vancouver to reach 200 NHL goals in 242 games, becoming the fastest player in league history to reach the milestone.

1996: Derek Jeter’s disputed home run, assisted by 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maier’s reach over the right-field wall, tied Game 1 of the AL Championship Series before Bernie Williams gave the Yankees a 5-4 victory over Baltimore with an 11th-inning homer.

2005: Chris Burke hit a walk-off home run in the 18th inning as the Houston Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 and clinched their National League Division Series in what was then the longest postseason game in major league history.

2011: Sebastian Vettel finished third in the Japanese Grand Prix and clinched his second consecutive Formula One world championship, becoming the youngest two-time champion in series history at age 24.

2016: The Western New York Flash defeated the Washington Spirit on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw to win the NWSL Championship in the first shootout in league history.

2020: Mike Brosseau hit an eighth-inning home run off Aroldis Chapman as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 in Game 5 to win their American League Division Series.

2022: Max Verstappen won a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix and clinched his second consecutive Formula One world championship, becoming the second-youngest two-time champion in series history.

— USA TODAY Network

This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, October 9

The Cincinnati Reds are absolutely not going to non-tender Nick Lodolo at season’s end. They just aren’t.

However, they are beginning to face a reality that consists of their former stud lefty being a guy who’s allowed 14 ER in 16.1 IP since returning from a recurring blister issue that caused him to dump perhaps his single best pitch in exchange for a different breaking pitch that simply hasn’t worked yet. They’re facing a reality of him earning an arbitration raise off his $4.73 million salary heading into his final season of team control with his trade value at a nadir.

They’re facing a reality that suggests they are running out of time to find a way to get the most out of him in the quickest amount of time with a repertoire that even he has never gained experience with, and they’re going to get to do it for more money than they’re paying him right now.

In other words, the final four or five starts he gets during the 2026 are about as vital to the Reds from a knowledge-gaining perspective as there is on this current roster, especially with Brady Singer likely pitching his way out of even an outlandish Qualifying Offer stunt and Hunter Greene on the shelf for all of 2027. Do the Reds actually have anything close to the ~5 WAR pitcher from 2025 on their roster? Or are they going to be in need of yet another starting pitcher on the open market over the winter?

Yeesh.

Lodolo’s next chance at turning things around comes on Tuesday in Great American Ball Park against Randy Vasquez and the San Diego Padres. Nick will throw the game’s first pitch at 6:40 PM ET, and here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

Angels fans spent years pleading for change.

Less than a day after they finally got it, some are wondering just how much change might be coming.

The overwhelming response to Arte Moreno agreeing to sell the Angels to Stan Kroenke’s Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has been celebration after years of “Sell the team” protests.

But amid the victory laps, a more anxious question has emerged across social media: What exactly will Kroenke do with the Angels?

“Any fears Kroenke moves the team out of So Cal?” one Angels fan asked on Reddit, adding: “Be careful what you wish for.”

Others were less concerned about Southern California than Anaheim specifically.

“If he moved the team to LA he’d immediately be worse than Arte,” one fan wrote.

Another summed up the anxiety more jokingly: “Inglewood Angels incoming.”

The speculation is easy to understand. Kroenke owns the Rams and developed SoFi Stadium and the 300-acre Hollywood Park complex in Inglewood. He also relocated the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, a history St. Louis fans quickly resurfaced after news of the Angels sale.

“What he did to St Louis with the Rams was disgusting,” one commenter wrote. Another predicted simply: “He’s planning to move that team. Bet.”

There has been no indication Kroenke intends to relocate the Angels. KSE’s own statement called Orange County a market with a “distinct civic identity” and described the acquisition as extending its Southern California footprint south from Inglewood.

That distinction matters. Baseball fandom remains intensely regional, and Los Angeles is firmly Dodgers territory. The Angels’ clearest identity — and much of their long-term value — remains tied to Orange County.

Still, Angel Stadium gives fans something tangible to worry about. The ballpark is city-owned, the current lease runs through 2032 and the Angels hold options through 2038. A state audit has also warned the aging stadium could require hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs.

“It’s a beautiful place,” one fan wrote. “I hope they choose to renovate rather than build from the ground up in the parking lot.”

Then there is the name.

Unlike relocation, plenty of fans are actively asking for change there, with calls to restore either the Anaheim Angels or California Angels already spreading online.

“Anything but Los Angeles!” one fan wrote.

For years, Angels supporters wanted Moreno gone.

Now they have their new owner — and the celebration is already giving way to questions about just how new their Angels are about to become.

Oct. 10

Today in sports history

Today is Oct. 10. On this date in:

1904: The Boston Americans clinched the American League pennant when New York Highlanders ace Jack Chesbro uncorked a ninth-inning wild pitch that allowed the deciding run to score.

1920: Cleveland defeated Brooklyn 8-1 in World Series Game 5 as Elmer Smith hit the first World Series grand slam, Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to homer in the Series and Bill Wambsganss turned the only unassisted triple play in postseason history.

1923: Casey Stengel hit the first World Series home run at Yankee Stadium, an inside-the-park shot, as the Giants beat the Yankees 5-4 in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

1924: The Washington Senators captured their only World Series championship while based in Washington, defeating the New York Giants 4-3 in 12 innings in Game 7.

1948: A World Series-record crowd of 86,288 packed Cleveland Municipal Stadium to watch the Boston Braves defeat the Indians 11-5 in Game 5.

1951: The New York Yankees defeated the New York Giants 4-3 in Game 6 to secure their 14th World Series title.

1956: Johnny Kucks pitched a three-hit shutout and Yogi Berra hit two home runs as the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 9-0 in Game 7 to win their 17th World Series championship.

1957: Lew Burdette pitched his second shutout and earned his third complete-game victory of the World Series as the Milwaukee Braves defeated the New York Yankees 5-0 in Game 7 to win the franchise’s first championship in Milwaukee.

1964: Mickey Mantle hit a ninth-inning walk-off home run to give the New York Yankees a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in World Series Game 3, surpassing Babe Ruth with his record 16th career World Series homer.

1968: Mickey Lolich, pitching on two days’ rest, outdueled Bob Gibson for his third complete-game victory of the World Series as the Detroit Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in Game 7 to win the championship after trailing the Series three games to one.

1980: George Brett hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Goose Gossage as the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 to complete an AL Championship Series sweep and capture the first American League pennant in franchise history.

1982: Cecil Cooper’s two-run single in the seventh inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 victory over the California Angels in decisive Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, sending the Brewers to the World Series for the first time.

2011: Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz blasted the first walk-off grand slam in Major League Baseball postseason history, giving Texas a 7-3 victory over Detroit in 11 innings in Game 2 of the ALCS.

2019: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passed Peyton Manning for second place on the NFL’s all-time passing-yards list during a victory over the New York Giants.

— USA TODAY Network

This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, October 10

If you were wondering why the Astros chose to recall Ronel Blanco earlier today and not Mike Burrows, it turns out we now have a legitimate reason, courtesy of this report from Brian McTaggart of MLB.com:

The reason Mike Burrows isn’t pitching today is that he felt his shoulder barking when he was throwing yesterday, and imaging showed some shoulder inflammation. He’s day-to-day.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 1, 2026

Burrows, who was on the IL with right elbow neuritis, now is battling shoulder inflammation.

Two different injuries to the same pitching arm at the same time have now pushed Burrows timetable for return to an unknown point. Whether or not Burrows is able to return to the Astros this season is very much in question.